DIMENSION

Mark Berry

The many ways of understanding the word "Dimension" is the underlying thread that weaves together the compositions in this, percussionist, Mark Berry's inaugural CD.

dimension (di-men-sion): 1.referring to magnitude and proportion. 2. a quality or character. 3. referring to space-time. 4. coordinates in mathematical space.

The CD relates each work to a particular facet of the word "Dimension". Berry's meticulously conceived performance of Maki Ishii's Thirteen Drums is first rate, bringing unity of purpose to Ishii's concepts of musical time and space. The Ishii proves as the perfect foil to Berry's adaptation for marimba of Erik Satie's Danses de travers, which highlights the whimsical nature of Satie, while also providing the deeper expressive possibilities. Also outstanding is the terrific and often programmed work for five timpani and computer-generated tape, The Final Precipice, by Jeffrey Peyton. The complex polyrhythms in John Welsh's...scraps of echos...are superbly executed, effectively capturing the spirit of Italian Futurism. Berry's compositional flair is highlighted in Mare Tranquillitatis and in Heliospheric II in which he is joined by cellist, Sarah Berry. Oboist, Michele Fiala, joins in the performance of Alec Wilder's Piece for Oboe and Improvisatory Percussion. The collaborators prove to be consummate chamber musicians in bringing these works to sonic-life.